This Giveaway is now closed. The Winners have been contacted. Congratulations to Erica, Asif, Travis, Joan and Dee.
Do you shop in the June toy sales? Do you stash toys away for Christmas presents? Every year I try to have a Christmas toy stash but I don’t always succeed. This year I tried something new and I’m so pleased to have started my christmas shopping early. What’s even better is that I managed to get CraftyDaddy, who rarely gets to help me shop (or wants to!) to help me out.
How? By shopping for toys at the BigW website. Yes, I had an incentive to do it, but after doing it once, I’m converted!
Why would I shop early and stash toys?
- It saves me money – by buying in the sales, I save money on the big items that I might not buy otherwise.
- It makes life easier in that busy pre-Christmas rush – I always seem to run out of time!
- It means I have time to discuss options with CraftyDaddy and have his input in those decisions.
- It means I have actually thought about gift ideas so I am ready when other family members want to know what to buy for the kids.
- It was easy and there were no crowds!
- Quick delivery – I ordered online on Sunday night and my toys arrived Thursday morning, so I don’t have to worry whether I’ll have them in time to go under the tree.
- Fun! I love looking at toys for the kids and imagining the thrill they would get opening it and playing with it!
I spent an afternoon browsing the BigW website. There are lots of categories to help find things and I quickly realised a ‘Wishlist’ was the way to go. As I found things that I thought might be suitable for the kids, I just added them to my ‘Wishlist’. This meant that in the evening when the kids were in bed, I could pull up the ‘Wishlist’ and chat to CraftyDaddy about my ideas. He had some more suggestions so we could easily check those out too. Each time we found toys we liked, there were also suggestion of similar toys on the left hand side under ‘You Might Also Like’, so that gave us even more ideas, plus often there were related products in a tab below the description.
The other feature that I noticed which would encourage me to do this again next year was the No-Deposit Layby that they have especially online during this sale. That really means I could order toys now, pay for them over a 16 week period and then have them delivered in time for Christmas. I wouldn’t have to find a place to stash them until they get here – and let’s face it, one problem with buying toys early is finding somewhere to hide them! (More on that later… help me!)
Is your child a Toy Expert?
Now as parents it doesn’t take long to realise that our kids know which toys they like – and which ones they don’t! My kids have been poring over the catalogues that have been in the mail box lately showing plenty of toys – and there has been a lot of, “Mum, I want to buy THIS! Pleeeeeease!” Why not set the kids up on the computer and let them save things to their own ‘Wishlist’? Then you can go back at your leisure and decide what to buy. You can also share the ‘Wishlist’ with Grandma and Aunty Sue (and any other friends and family) with a special URL via email at the click of a button.
I’ll be taking my ‘Toy Experts’ shopping next week so I’ll let you know what they pick.
Giveaway thanks to BigW
Thanks to the lovely people at BigW, I am giving away five $100 BigW gift vouchers to spend in the Giant Toy Spectacular which runs from June 20th to July 10th online. You too have the chance to create your “crafty” Christmas stash by shopping online or in store. You can see some of the lovely things I bought in my pictures, and by clicking on them, you can view them on the BigW website.
To Enter
Tell me your child’s favourite toy in the BigW Giant Toy Spectacular, and where you would stash it? I need some ideas, folks, so the most creative answers will win the prizes.
Fine Print
- Only one entry per person.
- This is a game of skill, not chance. You must answer both parts of the question for a valid entry – 1. which toy your child likes? and 2. where you would stash the toy? I am looking for creativity in the second part of the question.
- You must leave a valid email address for me to contact you for a valid entry.
- Only open to Australian residents – apologies to my overseas readers.
- Entries open with this post on Thursday 20th June 2013 and close on Wednesday 26th June 2013 at 8pm Brisbane time.
- The 5 winners will be chosen by me from the valid entries and contacted via email before midnight Friday 28th June 2013.
- If any winners don’t contact me, after 4 days I will choose a new winner to replace them.
- Once I have been in contact with the winner, I will announce the winner and pass on their details to the sponsors who will send out the prize.
- I can’t take responsibility for any issues in the delivery process.
- BigW would love to see a picture of your ‘Toy Expert’ and/or the toy they choose on their Facebook page.
I love the no deposit christmas laybys too! such a timesaver.
My little one will be getting a lavender 3DS from the catalogue and due to space limitations i can make a small toy storage space by taking out the bottom drawer of my dresser i can pop it in the bottom and put the drawer back in and to make sure i dont forget where i will stash the toys i will make a list..
My little Miss 2, she’s princess mad,
That carriage bed she’d love to keep,
Within it she’d dream and play,
I’m just not sure she’d sleep!
Hiding it would be a challenge,
But I know where it should be,
Hidden deep in the back of the boot,
Oh man, that whole online catalogue thing is pretty cool. I am not actually much of a an online shopper usually and II don’t get junk mail despite knowing how much the kids love flicking through it. They loved looking through this online version though so problem solved. After much thought Miss 7 decided a Furby A Mind Of Its Own was her pick and naturally Miss 3 wanted one too. As for finding a hiding place I think I will be using plastic storage boxes and placing them in the ceiling as there is lots of empty space up there. Space that the little ones don’t know how to get to!
My little one wants more DUPLO 🙂
To hide it I would wrap it in fabric and hide it in my fabric stash – not even the hubby would think of looking there 🙂
My girls are really into board games just now and they spied “Jenga BOOM” in the Big W Catalogue and circled that as something they want! As for where to stash the toys until Christmas. I have fabric covered milk crates in the top of the wardrobe in our spare room. They’re too high for our girls to reach and the fabric is dark and thick so hides everything inside them!
Oh and my email is [email protected]
Miss 9 would LOVE the Lego Friends Summer Riding Camp set as she has the house and this would really suit her collection and building skills! Miss 5 would love (of all things) the Monster High Draculaura Doll complete with coffin bed. Where would I hide these….behind the cleaning products in the laundry cupboard because my children will NEVER go in there and as I am in there often, at least I won’t forget they are there! If I was a spy mummy, I would have a trapdoor built into the bottom of the guinea pig hutch in which to hide my stash!!!
Love pre planning for Christmas, layby is perfect, when your watching the dollars I think its a great way to buy whats perfect without breaking the bank. Baby Alive would bring out the oohs and ahhhs for Miss 4. We have a great pantry cupboard and large metal trunk, in the garage that has always been a perfect hiding spot for pressies ;).
Mr 9 wants anything that has the words “Lego” &/or “Star Wars” in the name, Miss 7 is dreaming of an iPod and the Lego Friends Summer Riding Camp set. Mr 2 wants a guitar!?!? We have a couple of suitcases in the top of our walk in wardrobe that don’t get used very often (if at all), so I usually hide presents in them.
P.S….I love Paige’s idea of the trapdoor in the guinea pig cage! Haha! I’d like one of them just to hide from the kids sometimes!!! Haha!
My kids love Polly Pockets!!! Great thing about them is that they don’t take up that much room so they are super duper easy to stash… llke in the wardrobe! 😀
My son would love the KidKraft Deluxe Garage set. That kid can spend all day just driving cars around.
My parents used to keep the Christmas presents in the suitcases in the top of their wardrobes. They were found pretty easily once we got older. I once hid my husband’s present in his own bedside table drawer. I knew he never looked in there. Maybe you could store the kids presents in the bottom of the laundry basket or where you keep the toilet paper – my kids don’t realise these places exist!
The Dora the Explorer Kitchen. Where would I store it? I guess it would have to stay in our lounge room. What was once a tidy, elegant room to entertain has now slowly but surely become a children’s playroom. Oh well, the things we do for love 🙂
My lil miss would love the Tinkers Lisa Interactive Doll. I’m thinking about hiding all the christmas presents in the washing basket this year, because no one ever goes there… apart from me!!! lol
My daughter is desperate for a Cabbage Patch Doll that she can dress up and pretend like she has a little sister or brother to take care of! We have a built in wardrobe so I would wrap it up and store it right at the back up the top where she can’t see or reach it!
OOh what a fantastic giveaway !! My boys have just discovered the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (I feel so old, they were around when I was kid!) So the TMNT lego sets would be perfect for Christmas. My boys have discovered all my hiding spots sneaky things so I had to come up with a good one. Discovered that there is quite a large cavity under the fold out sofa that fits a whole stash of toys an the boys will never find them there :).
Thanks for the chance to win this fabulous prize.
Michelle :o)
[email protected]
The Disney Princess Wedding Couples Set would be just the thing. The marriage of Will and Kate had a huge impact and now of course the baby. I can see Disney need to give these couples some babies.
I actually have a cupboard tucked away in the corner that I use for presents. I can lock it with a key. I cover it with a pretty cloth and use it as bench space and I think most people forget it’s actually a cupboard under all that.
To see the look of amazement on my two boys faces if I was to buy them the Light and Sound Construction Tool Set on page 46, would be so worth it. Hmm now stashing it. I would pick the top of the wardrobe in the main bedroom. Far too high for any little hands to search out. It can keep the dust bunnies company for a while.
OMG I love the toy sales. I always buy and stash. It makes Christmas so stress free. In fact I think I managed to completely avoid going to a shopping centre for the entire month of December! I’m sitting down this weekend to work out what I’m getting but from the quick look I’ve had, I think I’ll be getting a Jessie & Woody (they both got buzz last year), the mr potato head 3 pack, a hot wheels wall track for my son and some of the hot wheels car cases in the hope the cars might live somewhere instead of all over the floor (I know I’m dreaming!). Oh and of course the 2 packs of hot wheels car for $10. That’s super cheap!
As for stashing them, it’s always been in my cupboard inside a big box but as the kids are getting a bit older I might stash them in a little storage area I have up on a high shelf.
Did I mention I love the sales! Can’t wait. I love buying stuff for my kids 🙂
I have never used the online site for Big W, and after checking it out have discovered a great way to shop – I hate crowds, especially crazy christmas crowds. I like lay-by and thought that in order to lay-by I had to actually go into the store. Thrilled to pieces.
I have multiple ages to buy for (from babies to big kids) and hiding things from some of them is challenging . I want to get the Sand/Water table and the Mega blocks / Duplo all of which are large. The other item on the wish list is boardgames and puzzles – I need to consult the teens to find out exactly which ones are on this year’s list – I suspect Jenga Boom will be popular along with A Big Bang Theory.
Our house is an old Queenslander and there is a gap of about 60cm above the extra tall robes in my bedroom. I have several plastic crates up there and can hide lots of light weight largish items there (Why lightweight you may well ask – let’s just say that once I nearly brained myself when a crate landed on my head whilst trying to get down a slightly heavier item – funny, but not recommended). I am tall (175cm) and can only access these crates by standing on a chair or step ladder. That keeps all but the most determined teens out. Then I have made use of the ceiling cavity via the ‘access hatch’ in the hall. My sewing room is a good spot too as none of them ever go looking in the fabric stash. Under our high-set house we have a few old wardrobes stored. i put the out of season fans, heaters etc in them. I can lock them and put a box or crate in there too to keep prying eyes and fingers out. One year as a test, I put a card-board box with a couple of gift items in it and some of my teen’s stuff on top in her room just under her bed. I wanted to see if she would find it. If she did a thorough clean out of her room (as she promised) and actually went through everything she would have found it. She didn’t find it. she tried to stop me from taking away her stuff when I went to retrieve said gift and in front of her carried the box containing her gift out of her room. I asked her what was in the box and she said she couldn’t remember but it must be import and ’cause it was under her bed. You should have seen the look on her fifteen year old face when I told her that several months ago I had put her Christmas gift in the box and slipped it under her bed. It was hidden in plain sight. It also proved my point that she didn’t know what half the stuff was and that perhaps it was time to cull some of her childhood treasures and actually do that thorough clear out. I suspect that trick can only be played once on each kid – but man was it worth it. Hmmm she will be 18 this Christmas, I wonder if I can get away with it again?
My littlest fella LOVES the Peppa Pig Campervan and my recommendation of a good place to stash? The cleaning cupboard, I am the ONLY one who ever goes into that one!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Over the last couple of years I’ve shopped for the little ones (grand kids) in the June/July sales & it’s been great knowing that the most important shopping is all done when December comes around. This year the idea of shopping online sale holds particular appeal, especially the no deposit layby being offered (think that’s fantastic.) I know that two of the little boys love Peppa Pig & Fireman Sam so they’re taken care of! My best place to hide stuff would have to be the craft room — no one would risk going in there, they’d be terrified of getting buried alive & never be found again!
What great timing that I should read your blog today! My kids studied the BIG W catalogue today and circled all their “wish list” items without any prompting. So I am one step ahead and armed with a list when I try-out their on-line shopping. I have bought items on-line previously but not from Big W. What a great idea to sit here in my warm, comfy house and shop at my liesure and be super ready when Christmas comes. (I usually buy in December in a mad rush).
Miss 13 is desperate for an ipad or tablet so she can do her school assignments, as it frustrates both of us when we need to use my laptop and have to wait for the other to finish.
Mr 11 loves the Razor powering scooters as his poor old scooter is about 4 yrs old and has come apart and been repaired a few times (and probably isn’t safe!).
Now, where to stash them. We have moved several times in the past few years and I have lots of moving cartons around. I could stash the gifts in any one of them, as the kids are “over” moving and unpacking and won’t go near another box. Hiding things under their nose can work… my husband hid my engagement ring in the stereo speaker for 7 weeks before asking me and I had no idea.
I look forward to being organised this Christmas, thanks to Big W and online shopping. Thanks Crafty Mummy for the change to win!!
Thank you Crafty Mummy,
I have super easy selections, Big W have so much Lego, it makes the choice easy. Lego for Mr. 10 and
Miss 8 would like Bananagrams (word game to help with spelling). Crafty thinking on my part!
As the shape is well known storage would have to be in a pillowslip cover in the linen press.
Thank you,
My little man loves the slippery dip at playgroup. I would love to get him an outdoor set – perfect Christmas/summer, lots and lots hours of fun. Hmmmm, seeing as though he is currently at the open every door, room, drawer stage it might have to be stashed at nona’s. Thanks for the chance.
Hi I love this idea, it means I would be done and not stress around Christmas! I have often wondered if it would work for me….I may have to try it out!
My purchase would be the Darth Vader costume and I would hide it in my new spot – the dryer! It is out of the way, we rarely use it and the kids haven’t ‘discovered’ it yet as a hidey hole (unlike all the others!!).
Thanks xx Mel
Oh my, I’d have to stash the Plum Meerkat Wooden Garden Swing Set and that’s huge! I should have picked something little hey? Okay, I’d stash it… in…um… the spare room wardrobe. I know that sounds very obvious, and it is, but thankfully, while they are young I don’t have to think of too many hiding places yet and that’s what I’m sticking to until they get sneaky. Then I ‘ll have to get creative like you!
I used the July toy sales last year and lay-byed my items, which meant I didn’t have to ‘stash’ my items until November ! I have some favourite spots because I always seem to be buying presents for the family. This year the kids are getting a trampoline as a group present, then the Dora Explorer capsule books, kids garden gloves (Miss 2 had used my machine quilting gloves in the garden eek !) and some books as stocking fillers. Hiding spots are many and varied but the celing man-hole is a favourite (in a plastic tub so it is dust and vermin safe !), DH’s shed, the filing cabinet (what kid looks at bookwork ?) DH’s always goes into the fabric stash 🙂
I will definitely be choosing a Lego Starwars set of some sort for Mr5’s gift. Where to stash it? The cat hiding hole beneath her scratching post, under her blanket that sits in there..that might sound odd, but the cat never actually goes in it, and even if she did, Mr5 knows to leave her well alone if she is hiding!
I’ve been showing Lior the catalogue, and I told him I would only guy him one gift for his birthday this year. He totally shook his head and said “no”! Cheeky thing!
He was quite taken with some of the books, and pointed to The classic case of Dr Seuss books. So who knows if he’ll get his wish. Who even knows if he has any idea what he was pointing at. Lol!
I would stash at my parent’s house, in the spare room where we are now, and then leave them there till Hanukkah, so he couldn’t get them if he tried, and I am not tempted to just give them to him!!
Grandma’s makes the best stashing place – because she can always say that it is for one of the other 10 Grandchildren! We are thinking about starting a Skylanders collection ….really don’t know what I a getting myself into!
The most requested toy this year has been Fireman Sam – so it would be the Fireman Sam’s Drive & Steer.
I will be stashing it in a suitcase that goes in the little storage space above our garage – where I am sure to forget about it until next year 🙂
I would be getting my twin toddlers the Little Tikes Tough Workshop, as they could both play with it at the same time and hopefully not fight.
As for hiding it, I was thinking that I might make some room in my husbands shed on one of the shelves that has some boxes already sitting in front of it. Anything small I can generally hide in our walk in wardrobe on the top shelf under all the maternity stuff and the bags we use for holidays.
Master 11 would love the Lord of the Rings Battle at Black Gate Lego. This box is the perfect size for a Mixed Media Canvas me thinks! Cover it with some sturdy cardstock or fabric, which can later be removed and then scrap and craft and ink and glue to your heart’s content. Stick it on the wall in the lounge with 3M mounting and I’m set. The box of Lego is in his face the whole time and he wont have a clue.
It conquers the stash issue and cures my need to craft and saves me going out to get another canvas!
With four children, settling on one toy from the options is a little tricky, however there is a birthday coming up so his favourite is the Lego Technic logging truck.
Stashing something like that is a little tricky because the box would be fairly large, but my options in the past would be to hide it in a garbage bag high up in my bedroom cupboard. I don’t quite have that luxury at the moment though, and as we are in the process of being between houses and moving, I would sneak it into a packing box and there it would remain until Christmas. What’s another box lying around? They all look the same to the kids! Although finding the box at the right moment may be a little tricky, as I am pretty sure I have presents already stashed somewhere for this birthday boy, but I have no idea where and in which shed!
I think I’d get the little tikes BBQ and sink
I’m pretty sure the boxes are the perfect height to cover with a cloth and disguise as a side table
My daughter has a list longer than she is tall, of toys she wants for her upcoming birthday. Top of the list are the Fur Real Friends rabbits.
I could stash in the middle of her bedroom under the pillows and toys, she would never find it there, but to be safe, I tend to stash things in the garage in the empty fridge which isn’t tuned on!
Of course my daughter’s favourite toy in the Big W catalouge would be the Fisher-Price Disney Princess 7 Figure pack. She loves the disney princesses so much. Now where to stash it, oh that is easy in the bottom of the toy box. She would never look there, she is far more interested in pulling stuff out of her shelves, wardrobes and drawers and also all the other drawers, wardrobes around the house too.
The Lego Friends (any variation) – we have a ton of lego from the boys, but with the young miss reaching that age, it would be great to have something pink and enticing to lure her in. (I know once she’s playing with it, it won’t matter…just getting her round to the idea). As for where I’d stash it – I’m ebaying so much at present I can’t find what I sell in the piles of boxes, so I could easily put it there and she’d be none the wiser!
Miss 2’s favourite toy is the Peppa Pig Laptop and Miss 5’s favourite toy is Lego Friends Summer Riding camp.
As for stashing I have a couple of good places. First is a huge clear plastic tub on the top shelf of the linen cupboard that I have labelled ‘Blankets’ and put a blanket inside to line the box. But if you actually take the lid off and look inside it is full of presents! Second is we have an upright freezer that no longer works in our garage. The girls don’t know it doesn’t work though and guess what each shelf is full of? Yep, presents! Mwhahaha.
My son would love the Fireman Sam Fire Station set. I would stash it in my linen cupboard with a sheet over it. Now that the winter blankets are out of there- I have some stashing room!
My daughter would love the bean bag chair or the drss up clothes! I keep things in box’s at the top of my wardrobe, I told the kids about the time I accidentally found my birthday present, and how dissapointed I was. I told them where I keep their presents and told them not to go looking if they don’t want total disappointment! It works for us!
MY twin boys would like the Lego Super Heroes Collection to complete their Super Hero city
I stash my gifts in an old upright rectangular laundry basket inside a cupboard , the kids will never look there. They haven’t really gone looking but this year they have wised up.
My small kids really love the Jungle Mania Kiddy Trampoline with enclosure. We only have a small court yard so this is a perfect size and will provide hours of enjoyment for them all.
I forgot to mention that I have a big under stairs cupboard where I hide all my gifts so I would hide it in there, it’s out of bounds for my little ones.
Both my girls love dora so the dora bike would be the bestest gift they can get 🙂
I have learnt through the years to hide gifts, mostly from my hubby than the kids.
Some ideas
1. My Underwear Drawer. No kid (especially boys) will dig through my underwear drawer (not too good if hiding something from hubby-haha)
2. Hide as many of toys as possible in duffel bags or huge suitcases
3. Right in Front of Their Eyes – Store gifts in crates or large boxes, and label them with boring, frightening things like ‘Math Study Guides’, ‘english grammer’ or “Tax Receipts 2012” on them 😉
4. Put presents in a large black garbage bag and then keep it in the garage. Just be careful NOT to put that garbage bag out on garbage collection days! LOL
5. Put gifts in large black garbage bags and fill handsful of old clothes or extra sheets on top and hide under bed. Place another bag filled with old clothes next to it but no gifts in these;)
6. Put gifts in a basket and cover with dirty clothes.
7. Locked car trunk
8. Ask a friend or relative with no kids to keep them for you.
9. Hide them in the christmas decoration box.
My kid’s favorite toy is anything Lego, I swear that is all he plays with lately. I would hide it in the basement in a black trash bag.
I’d love to get a Diamondback 40cm bike for my little girl as she does not yet have a pedal bike but has been keenly watching the older kids on their big bikes at the local bike park. Being such a large item this would be quite difficult to hide at our place, but I have an easy solution – my parents’ place. It can be quite challenging to find anything on any given day at their place, and they have also been known to just throw a sheet over the Christmas tree till the following December so I could
Even put it “under the tree” and it would never be found 😉
I love shopping of any kind – be it online or otherwise, but with three children, and lots of grandparents and other relatives asking what they would like for christmas, I have to be organised! From the latest BIGW catalogue, my 8 year old daughger loves the Lego Friends Heartlake City Pool, my 7 year old daughter loves the Disney Princess Wedding Couples, and my 5 year old son is praying for the Lego Star Wars Death Star! I try to shop as much in advance as possible, as my son also has a birthday in December, so there’s double the presents to consider. Regarding my hideaway secrets, I sometimes use my parent’s house – their bedroom cupboards up high, because that is somewhere my children would never go. However, it is definitely more convenient to stash toys in your own home. Wherever possible, I try to wrap the presents first. That way if they are accidentally found they usually won’t go as far as unwrapping. So I don’t forget what’s under the wrapping paper I might write a key word in tiny letters somewhere in the wrapping. If things are thin enough (like books or board games), they slide under our bed; the garden shed, wrapped in a garbage bag is a good spot – it’s too “scary” in there for them; top and back shelf of the pantry; top shelf of linen cupboard behind the sheets, and in a suitcase on the top shelf of the garage cupboards. Good luck to everyone! Hope you can fool your little sticky beaks!
My son has circled heaps of toys in the BIG W catalogue but when pressed for a favourite he has chosen the Trash Pack Sewer Dump – I would stash it in the wardrobe behind all of my shoes as I know he would never look twice at my shoe collection, something he has absolutely no interest in at all!
My little man would love the Bob the Builder 33 piece Work Bench…and I’d stash it in the farm shed at Nan and Pop’s farm, there’s no way he would ever find it hidden in amongst all of Pop’s junk!
My little girl would adore a dollhouse. I would most likely follow my husbands idea and stash the toys in the roof! He loves it up there!!
The little tikes ‘Cozy Coupe’.
We would stash it out in the garage under a drop sheet with the furniture that Darryl has prepared and awaiting paint (also covered with a drop sheet).
1) My little boy (who will be 4 before Christmas) would love the the Octonauts Octopod Playset as he loves watching the show and makes us pretend to be characters and act it out around the house.
2) I think I’d hide toys at the top of the laundry cupboard, because let’s face it, I could hide presents for everyone there and they’d be safe from prying eyes!
Thanks for such a great giveaway 🙂
We love the ninja turtles figurines (dolls) given both of us parents loved them as children too.
I hide presents in suitcases in my cupboard or in the garage in tubs with our camping gear or Christmas decorations lol